|  | News from the Town of Needham |  | Good morning, Needham! Next Tuesday, November 8th is Election Day. Polls are open 7 am to 8 pm. To find your polling location, visit the Town Clerk’s website. Those wishing to vote early in person may still do so at Town Hall until 5 pm Thursday, November 3rd and until 1 pm on Friday, November 4th. Town offices will be closed Friday, November 11th in observation of Veterans Day. On Veterans Day the Town will remember the veterans who have served and those who are now serving their country all over the world. Veterans Day Observances will be held on Friday, November 11th at 11 am at the Veterans’ Memorials located in Memorial Park on Highland Avenue. Prior to the ceremony, the Needham Exchange Club will offer complimentary coffee and doughnuts at the park. An invitation is extended to all for a collation at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2498 on Junction Street immediately following the ceremony. All Needham residents are invited to attend the observances and pay tribute to our veterans. Veterans Day Observances will take place rain or shine. | | Online Community Calendar Guidelines - Updated | Thank you to all those who are using the Community Calendar to share your community events on the Town’s website. Please note, you MUST include contact information and details about your event in addition to a time, date and location. An event submitted without that information will no longer be published to the website. For questions, email croygonzalez@needhamma.gov. Submission Instructions: Click “Submit an Event” on the calendar section of the Town’s website. When the event submission box appears, choose “Community Events” in the Calendar field. Fill out the title, date & time, contact information, and additional details. Hit “Submit” when done.
All submitted events will be reviewed prior to being published on the online Community Calendar. We will do our best to post submitted events within 2-3 business days The Town reserves the right to decline event submissions The Town reserves the right to edit event information for length, spelling, language and clarity.
Please be sure to include contact information (a phone number and/or email) when submitting your event. | | Flu Shots, COVID Boosters Available Through Needham Public Health | Do you need a flu shot or COVID booster? Needham Public Health has a number of vaccine clinics with openings available. Public Health is also rolling out ‘mini-clinics’ for kids 3 years and up. The first one is scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd from 11:30-1pm at Rosemary Recreation Complex. | |
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| | Volunteers Wanted for Juneteenth Celebration Committee, Recreation Asset Working Group | | The Needham Select Board is seeking volunteers for two new committees formed last month: the Juneteenth Celebration Planning Committee and Active Recreation Assets Working Group. The Juneteenth Celebration Planning Committee is charged with advising the Select Board on ways that Needham may appreciate and recognize “African American history by creating an atmosphere of education, engagement, and inspiration” around Juneteenth Independence Day on June 19th. The Active Recreation Assets Working Group will advise the Town “in space planning for the future of recreational opportunities in Needham.” The Select Board seeks five residents with an interest in the subject matter to join the Juneteenth Celebration Planning Committee, and an additional member of the community to serve on the Active Recreation Asset Working Group. | |
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| | Housing Plan Working Group Presents Draft Housing Report to Community Wednesday, November 16th | | Needham’s Housing Plan Working Group, established last year to develop a Housing Plan to strategically address unmet housing needs, will present its draft report to the community on Wednesday, November 16th from 7 to 9 pm. The forum, held in Powers Hall in Town Hall and via Zoom, will include a presentation of the draft plan by members of the Housing Plan Working Group’s committees with time for community members to ask questions and offer feedback. The draft plan and additional materials can be reviewed ahead of the presentation on the Housing Plan Working Group’s website. Community members may submit written comments for the Working Groups consideration until Wednesday, November 23rd. Email planning@needhamma.gov with the subject line, “Housing Plan Working Group.” The Working Group will deliver its final Housing Plan by the end of this year. |
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| | Mattresses, Clothing, Textiles Can No Longer Be Thrown Away Under Updated State Ban | As of November 1st, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is expanding its waste bans to include mattresses, clothing, towels, bedding, and other textiles. This means they will need to be repurposed, reused, or recycled. Textiles containing mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil, or hazardous substances are exempt from the ban. Needham’s Recycling and Transfer Station (RTS) offers textile recycling free of charge for residents (valid RTS stickers are required). The white metal textile collection bins are located adjacent to the salt shed, past the food waste recycling bins, and book donation area. The mattress recycling container is situated next to the main transfer station building. See the attendant in the office trailer first to pay the $20 fee. Please remember the RTS cannot take wet or moldy mattresses for recycling. Mattress bags are available at Home Depot if you need to transport the mattress in inclement weather. |
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| | VFW Holds Poppy Drive Ahead of Veterans Day | | The Needham Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2498 will be distributing poppies and asking for donations for their Fall Poppy Drive. This year the veterans will be at Sudbury Farms and Roche Brothers stores on Saturday, November 5th and Sunday, November 6th. The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance to help maintain state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for Children. The veterans ask for your support for this worthy cause. |
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| | Needham Art Association Hosts Fall Judged Exhibit at Needham Public Library | Needham Art Association's annual Fall Members Judged Exhibit can be seen at the Needham Free Public Library now through January 2nd, 2023. On Thursday, November 10th, they will host a joint opening reception and talk by the artist and exhibit judge Justin Life. After the awards presentation at 6:30pm, Justin will give a talk which will seek to demystify the creative process. He will share behind-the-scenes examples of artists like Edward Hopper and Kerry James Marshall using strategies such as preparatory sketches to envision their artwork before the final piece is created. This event is free and open to the public. | |
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| | Needham Community Theatre is Back With ‘Shrek the Musical’ |  | Based on the Oscar-winning animated film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and a side-splitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. "Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek. The show will be held at the Newman Auditorium, 1155 Central Ave. Needham from November 18 - 27, 2022. | | | Multicultural Festival 2023 - Get Involved With This Quick Survey | The Needham Human Rights Committee and Needham Diversity Initiative are excited to announce that they are planning the first Annual Multicultural Festival in March 2023! The committees are seeking representation from all Needham residents and their many cultures. Please take 2 minutes to complete this 2-question survey indicating any and all of the ways you and your family identify, and if you’d like to be involved with the event in any capacity. The committees will reach out afterwards with more information and sign-ups for community planning and hosting of this creative and fun-filled event. | | | Join the Team - Town of Needham is Hiring! | | |  | Saturday, November 5th: Household Hazardous Waste Day. 8 am - noon. Enter at DeFazio. More information. Sunday, November 6th: Leaf Sunday at the RTS, 10 am - 4 pm. Valid RTS sticker required. Sunday, November 6th: Needham Diversity Summit, 1 pm - 5 pm, Pollard Middle School and via Zoom. More information. Wednesday, November 9th: Needham Youth and Family Services hosts Dr. Chris Willard for a talk on ‘Mindful Resilience for Mental Health in the New Normal.’ 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Center at the Heights. Register here. Want to see what community events are happening in Needham? Check out the Community Calendar on the Town’s website!
| | CALENDAR OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ***Meetings are linked to the relevant agenda***Friday, November 4, 2022 Climate Action Plan Committee Climate Smart Zoning Working Group, 1 pm via Zoom Monday, November 7, 2022 Design Review Board, 7:30 pm via Zoom Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Election Day, Polls open 7 am to 8 pm, Polling locations here.
Board of Library Trustees, 7 pm, Library Community Room and via Zoom Wednesday, November 9, 2022 Climate Action Plan Committee, 5 pm, Charles River Room, 500 Dedham Ave.
Youth and Family Services Board Meeting, 5:30 pm, Town Hall, Great Plain Room
Select Board Meeting, 6 pm, Select Board Chambers and via Zoom (agenda to be posted by Monday) Thursday, November 10, 2022 Commissioners of Trust Funds, 4:30 pm, Great Plain Room, Town Hall and via Zoom
Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 pm via Zoom Friday, November 11, 2022 Town facilities closed in observance of Veterans Day Events shown as listed on the Town calendar as of 11/3/22. Don't forget to check out the Needham Meeting and Events calendar for updated information. You can also sign up to receive meeting notices and agendas on the Town’s “Notify Me” page. | | Did someone send you this newsletter? Subscribe directly using this sign-up link! We want to hear from you! Send questions or comments to Public Information Officer Cyndi Roy Gonzalez at croygonzalez@needhamma.gov or fill out this 1-question survey. If you’re inclined, forward this on and urge others to subscribe. Happy reading! | | Town of Needham
1471 Highland Ave.
Needham, MA 02492
781-455-7500
www.needhamma.gov | |
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